Joy in pain

One of the first things we do when hard times fall on us is to question. Did this thing happen because of me? How can anything good come from this? Is God still with me? If I was a better person or if I had done things different could I have avoided this trouble? The truth is, we don’t always know why things happen. Job, a Godly man, in a few short days lost his children, his servants, his wealth, and then his body was covered from his head to his feet with boils! His wife tells him to curse God and die. His friends came and told him he must have sinned to cause all this. Do you think he had questions? Paul, an apostle of Christ, had what he called a thorn in the flesh. A messenger of satan that caused him great anguish. He asked God three times to have it removed. God said nope. My power is made perfect in weakness. These were faithful men who loved God with all their hearts. Their faith was strong but tested. Following God is not always easy. Troubles come. They always do. With God though, nothing goes to waste. Even the troubles of this hard life are used by the Almighty. James, The brother of Jesus, wrote in James 1:2: Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. When life is throwing some hard stuff at you remember this: you are not alone, and it’s not for nothing. God will not leave you and he won’t allow your pain to be in vain. It will have a purpose and ultimately it will bring him glory. We, my dear friends in Christ, when pain comes can be full of joy even in our suffering because we have the knowledge of the joy that will one day come when Jesus returns for those who remain faithful. Dear Lord, thank you even for the troubles we face that gives us strength and perseverance and a deeper faith in you!
Have a blessed day my friends!!